“What, what!”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Do you know who our young lady is? Mmph—!!”

“…Say one more word and I won’t let it slide.”

Arinne quickly covered Jo’s mouth and slowly shook her head.

“But…”

Jo felt wronged.

Born and raised in the east where everyone revered Marcedea, living as her right hand, Jo couldn’t accept this kind of mistreatment.

“Hurry up and get out with that cheeky servant of yours. Doesn’t look like you have money to buy anything anyway.”

When no response followed, the shop owner, taking it as a victory, puffed up his round, shapeless shoulders.

He snorted and openly gestured for them to leave.

“That man, really!”

“Jo, stop.”

Without responding, Arinne turned toward the door. Jo followed, her voice upset.

“Is it okay to just leave like this?”

“Leave it.”

Arinne spoke without emotion.

“He’ll live a few more days.”

There were various ways to bury someone, and for Arinne, it was all too easy.

Jingle—

The bell on the door made a clear sound.

“Oh my~! Young masters~~~!!”

The shop owner, who’d quickly assessed the appearance of the entering customers, rushed to the door and bent his round body in a bow.

“Brother! I want to buy that.”

“You like it?”

Two boys in neat attire. Their clothes, made from quality fabric, had a soft sheen.

“Show me that one.”

“Indeed!! You have excellent taste!”

Also, from their casual use of informal speech, they were clearly precious young lords from some household.

‘The younger one must be about five. The older one… nine? Ten?’

Both brothers had rare hair colors—black and gray respectively.

Especially the older brother, whose black hair was even rarer to see in the Empire, naturally drew the eye.

“This is an item a craftsman painstakingly crafted. Distinguished people recognize distinguished items!!!”

The shop owner rubbed his palms together and tried his best to win the children’s favor with all sorts of words, hoping to raise the price even a little more.

Meanwhile, he scrunched his face viciously and silently cursed at Arinne and Jo, asking what they were still doing there.

“That man, really!!”

“Let’s stop. I don’t think there’s anything more to see. The goods aren’t even as good as the east.”

Arinne grabbed and lowered Jo’s fist.

Though Jo still looked indignant, she obediently relaxed her hand.

“Moreover, this is Laphers imported from the east, very rare…”

‘Laphers?’

Arinne stopped walking and looked back at the shop owner.

After mulling over those words for a moment, Arinne asked the shop owner.

“That’s Laphers?”

Every eye in the shop turned toward Arinne.

“Miss? J-just hold back for now.”

Sensing trouble, Jo grabbed Arinne’s arm. Arinne smiled elegantly and removed Jo’s arm.

“Hey. Is that really Laphers?”

Arinne wasn’t a person with a strong sense of justice. She was an ordinary person who just wanted to live comfortably.

This wasn’t her first time seeing such a merchant, and paying a few extra coins from being overcharged wouldn’t impact those children’s lives, so why bother getting involved?

She detested inviting trouble by butting into others’ business.

The reason Arinne stepped forward was simple. That frivolous merchant had the audacity to mention ‘Laphers.’

“Did distribution get moved up without my knowledge? I understood the formal distribution was after Thanksgiving.”

“Wh-what are you talking about!”

Laphers was a cyan-colored mineral discovered in the east last year, characterized by its cool blue light that shone with various colors depending on the angle.

Due to difficult processing, distribution had been delayed, and Laphers, which hadn’t yet been released to the market, currently commanded whatever price was asked.

‘How dare he. Committing fraud with my Laphers?’

The eastern mine where Laphers was found was owned by Duke Marcedea and was one of the things Arinne had her eye on.

To take as a dowry if she married. Or to use as retirement funds.

“Did you deceive me?”

“Of course not, young master!! Th-that young lady doesn’t have money to buy anything, so she’s just being spiteful! I barely obtained this by paying extra!!”

The shop owner, who’d been bowing obsequiously to the children, whipped his head around and glared at Arinne.

“Where do you think you are, causing a scene?! A country bumpkin needs to have seen things to know!! You don’t know anything and you’re trying to ruin someone’s business!!”

As he shouted with a face thick with temper, dismissing Arinne, her eyes instantly turned cold.

“Mister! Watch your mouth! Our young lady is really scary when she’s angry!”

Jo stepped forward and stood in front of Arinne, blocking her with her body. With both hands firmly planted on her hips and eyes glaring upward, she looked like an angry squirrel.

“It’s fine, move aside.”

“Miss…!”

Lightly pushing Jo aside and stepping forward, Arinne snatched the cufflinks the shop owner was holding.

“It is Laphers.”

“S-see!”

The gemstone set in the button was unmistakably Laphers.

Though of lower value, it had Laphers’ characteristic iridescent light.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Arinne’s voice dropped low. The warning in her calm tone was clear.

“An ordinary jeweler obtained this? From whom, for how much. Ah. No, wait. This isn’t a conversation I should have with you.”

She’d heard there were bold people who siphoned off portions or traded counterfeits ahead of official distribution…

‘I never thought I’d see it right in front of me.’

The corners of Arinne’s mouth curved leisurely. It was the warm smile she only showed when her mood was twisted.

Quick-witted Jo cleared her throat, waiting for her cue.

“Jo. What about reporting illegal transactions?”

“You report to the jurisdictional guard, and can additionally report to the mine owner and the merchant company handling distribution!”

Jo stepped forward and clapped her hands. Knowing well how to win Arinne’s favor, Jo rattled off even things she wasn’t asked in a ringing voice that stuck in the ears.

“The mine owner is Duke Marcedea. The merchant company handling distribution is also owned by Marcedea and personally operated by the Young Duke. Oh my!! Now that I think about it…”

Jo gasped in shock and covered her mouth.

“…Why? Why?! What is it?! Tell me quickly!!”

The younger child, who’d somehow become an enthusiastic audience member, urged Jo on with shining eyes.

Though he had no idea what the adults were talking about, he seemed absorbed in Jo’s performance like a storytelling session.

“Stay still.”

The older child stretched out his arm with a rather serious face, blocking his younger brother from jumping toward Jo.

“Marcedea’s punishment level is enough to make even the demon king cry.”

Clapping her hands again to signal the end of the story, Jo beamed at the younger child, who’d been the most enthusiastic audience member.

“Wooow!!”

The child jumped in place and clapped his hands together loudly.

“What’s going on?”

“L-let’s just congratulate them.”

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations.”

At the cute clapping sound, customers who’d just entered also followed the child with puzzled faces, sending Jo haphazard applause.

“I see some counterfeits here and there too.”

Arinne, making a show of turning her neck widely to survey the interior, pointed out only the counterfeits.

The shop owner’s face turned pale.

‘What the h*ll?! What kind of woman is she to recognize all this?!!’

When she recognized even the counterfeits made precisely like the real thing at a glance, his face completely drained of color as he awkwardly made excuses.

“C-counterfeits, you say. Th-those are just samples for display… I-I absolutely don’t s-sell fakes! Haha…”

“Oops. My hand slipped.”

Arinne dropped the cufflinks she was holding, letting them fall from her hand.

Gasp!

Jo drew in a sharp breath from behind.

“I don’t need to compensate, do I?”

“Wh-what is this!”

“Your life is more precious than some accessory, isn’t it? I’m a fly from the provinces with poor manners, so you’ll have to understand.”

“Wh-what? Who exactly are you…!”

Arinne, who’d stepped on and crushed the cufflinks that had fallen and broken on the floor once more, whispered to the shop owner.

The shop owner’s legs gave out and he sank down on the spot. Even as he sat, there was a heavy thud.

“Good heavens. Counterfeits! And I bought several items here!”

“I heard they also bring in goods illegally… Let’s go out and find another place.”

The remaining customers began leaving the shop, murmuring. Some grabbed the owner by the collar demanding refunds.

“Miss, let’s go too!”

“Alright.”

Arinne stopped again at the door and looked back.

“Brother. The adults are fighting. I think I’m a little scared right now…”

“…”

The children were frozen at the unfamiliar scene.

“Young masters should leave too.”

Arinne called to the children who couldn’t move.

Only then did the children move their gaze from empty space and looked at Arinne with anxious eyes.

“Come this way.”

Arinne spoke again.